Roses to the organizers of the Mushroom drop

Saturday, January 4, 2014

Roses to the organizers of Midnight in the Square for their successful first ever “mushroom drop” on New Year’s Eve. An estimated 2,500 people came out to mark the New Year to watch an 800-pound lighted steel mushroom - a representation of the area’s favorite fungi - fall to mark midnight and Jan. 1 of 2014. The $8,000 mushroom was donated by To-Jo Mushrooms. Bob’s Crane Co. donated the crane. The event was funded by the Kennett Area Restaurant and Merchants Association, in conjunction with organizers of the annual Mushroom Festival. People turning out brought items for the Kennett Food Cupboard for the event at State and Union streets. These New Year celebrations are becoming quite the thing in Pennsylvania these days. The Kennett Square event joins Beaverton’s beaver drop, the strawberry drop in Easton, the pickle drop in Dillsburg, the bottle of Yuengling drop in Pottsville, the marshmallow peep drop in Bethlehem, the Dove bar drop in Elizabethtown, the 100-pound bologna drop in Lebanon, and the Crayola crayon drop in Easton. The one we have trouble imagining was the recycled material drop in Pittsburgh.

Roses to state Rep. Neal Goodman, D-Schuylkill, for proposing legislation to create a “Made in PA” program encouraging Pennsylvanians to buy products made in their home state. Goodman said he believes consumers would buy more items made in Pennsylvania, thus boosting manufacturing, if they had an easy way to tell the products were made here. We agree. The incentive to support our own local economy begins with awareness. We support efforts to enhance that awareness and encourage buying of more local goods.

Roses to the Philadelphia Eagles and their fans for the unexpected turnaround this season that has the team in the NFC Wild Card game Saturday with a new coach, new quarterback and new attitude. The Eagles play the New Orleans Saints tonight at Lincoln Financial Field in the first playoff performance in three years. Having our home team in the playoffs lightens our step and gives us something to cheer about. Go Eagles!